Spring Forward...but with Intent and Progression
By James Pinola, MS, CSCS
The warm weather is back and for many of us that means walking, running or biking outside again. This is your reminder that you can’t go from zero to one hundred. Even if you’ve been lifting consistently throughout the colder months, you still need to ease into new activities. If you’ve ever missed substantial time here at the gym, you might have noticed that your coaches reduced your sets, reps or weights upon your return. You should take the same approach to outdoor activities. Even for something as simple as having a catch in the backyard, don’t jump right into a 20-minute session after not throwing for months. It might not seem like a big deal, but doing so could wreck your unprepared shoulder. Afterall, it is for this very reason that baseball players participate in spring training! We all need to gradually work our way back up, regardless of our fitness levels in other domains.
Essentially, exercise is a stress on the body and your body adapts to the current demands you place on it. If you haven’t run, biked or hiked all winter, your body has adapted to the decreased demand. It might not seem fair, but the reality is, if you don’t use it, you lose it. So, if you’re considering lacing up your shoes and hitting the trails, start small. Going full throttle on day one may feel great in the moment, but shin splints and sore joints may be lurking around the corner. This might be a good time to check the tread on your shoes as worn sneakers can be problematic. If you see visible wear on the bottoms, or you know you’ve put over 500 miles into a pair of shoes, it may be time for some new kicks. Also, for our bikers, please take a moment to check your helmet, tires and brake lines before getting back out there.
Let’s not forget about the heat either. While 70 degrees might feel great, the higher temperatures are going affect your capacity to exercise, at least at first. Don’t hesitate to pull back a bit on the first few hot days of the season to allow your body to get acclimated. As a result, sweat rates are probably going to be elevated. Make sure to stay properly hydrated. We’ve covered this topic before, but as a refresher, keep these three rules in mind. One: If you’re thirsty, drink. Our thirst mechanism, derived from our kidneys, is effective at keeping the average person adequately hydrated. Two: check the color of your urine. Yellow is okay if it isn’t too dark. Three: make sure you consume electrolytes (fancy word for salts) when you’re sweating a lot. While dehydration can be a real threat, drowning yourself with water isn’t a good idea either as it can dangerously dilute your sodium levels. This is known as hyponatremia.
Lastly, when it comes to exercising in general, most of us fall into a binary way of thinking. I often hear blurbs like, “I’m not a runner” or the opposite, “I’ve been a runner my whole life.” However, there is an effective middle ground. Using a walk/run protocol, as made famous by Jeff Galloway, can be a great way to disrupt this all or nothing behavior. This protocol can help you regardless of your fitness level. Whether you’re just getting started on your running journey, or you’ve been running for years, following these guidelines could help you improve. Follow this link for more information: https://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/. Enjoy your time in the sunshine!
-JP